MommyCoddle

it’s the best excuse…

Pssst….The new year is my favorite excuse to get myself a brand new planner/organizer. This year, I figured, why wait until after Christmas to get started? I'm giving away three of my favorite family planners over on MommyCoddleLikes. Dude. Check it out.

For you crazy ones: Chocolate Chewy Sauce

Have you ever gone to a movie, loveloveloved it and then totally hyped it up to someone before they went to see it? And then you thought, "Oh. Maybe I hyped that a little too much and they'll be disappointed."

Well, I hyped up this recipe a bit back there, didn't I ? But I have to admit, (though pride cometh before the fall)…I don't think it will disappoint.

I also have to say upfront that I feel a bit like I'm letting you all in on a family secret. I mean this is the Chocolate.Chewy.Recipe. This is the one we pull out when we really want to impress the people we're having over for dinner for the very first time. It's a dessert that says, "We're fun! And we like to get a little crazy in the dessert department!" We serve up the bowls of plain old vanilla ice cream and then turn away from the table to the stove, appearing again with the big heavy saucepan clenched in our hot-padded hands. "What?! You've never had chocolate chewy sauce?!? Oh, you poor deprived human. You are in for a treat! Let my family's secret recipe enlighten your palette!"

So let me officially welcome you to the family.

Okay, seriously. That's enough hype. This stuff is good people. In a fun way. In a pull out your 8 year-old's loose tooth way. In a soak the bowls to get the remaining sauce off way. In a probably not for people with braces way. In a no one will be talking during dessert way.

There are two versions of this recipe floating around the family archives. My grandmother's recipe and my mother's recipe. Both versions equally good with the exact same results. And because my mom, upon my phone call two nights ago, could put a finger on her recipe immediately "I think I file it under sauces.", and my grandmother's version is currently MIA, the recipe below comes from my mother's kitchen. She's a pro at this stuff.

Chocolate Chewy Sauce from the family vault

2 one ounce squares unsweetened chocolate (to which I said, "Really? Unsweetened?" To which my mom replied:

"It will make sense when you hear the next ingredient.")

2 cups granulated sugar

1 Tablespoon butter

3/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Over medium heat, slowly melt and combine all ingredients but vanilla. Once they have melted completely, bring to a boil. Cover and continue boiling for two minutes. Remove lid (still boiling) and continue boiling until sauce reaches soft ball stage*. (This usually takes another minute or two.) *Note: If you have a candy thermometer, you can use this to test for soft ball stage (235 °F). The method I use is to keep a clear glass of cold water at the stove. Drop a few drips of the sauce into the water, if it holds together in a loose, "soft" ball, you've achieved soft ball stage. If it falls apart like a cloudy mess to the bottom of the glass, you're not there yet. You know what comes after soft ball stage? Hard ball stage. You don't want to get there, unless you plan to never reuse the dishes you serve the sauce in. However, reaching a good softball stage is key to the sauce having the right consistency. If you err any way, err to the side of hard ball. Don't under do it, or you won't get the chewy factor. But go to long and you'll get a more brittle sauce. No pressure, huh? I promise, it's not as difficult as I just made it sound.

Once you reach soft ball stage (Phew! You made it!) remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla. At this point, you can either let it cool to re-heat and serve later in the day, or keep it warming on the stove until dessert. Serve over vanilla ice cream, or if you want to get a little daring, mint chocolate chip. Leftovers? Jar them up and warm them again the next day. And the next….

Enjoy! I am not responsible for the extra five holiday pounds these last two recipes have caused you. Nor am I responsible for any damage to dishware, flatware, dental paraphernalia or lost teeth. (No honestly, it's not that chewy. Usually.)

Have you ever gone to a movie, loveloveloved it and then totally hyped it up to someone before they went to see it? And then you thought, “Oh. Maybe I hyped that a little too much and they’ll be disappointed.”

Well, I hyped up this recipe a bit back there, didn’t I ? But I have to admit, (though pride cometh before the fall)…I don’t think it will disappoint.

Fair warning: This recipe might have you find the right Tacoma dentist for your family as the sauce is quite sticky but totally worth the time it takes to prepare it and the sticky sensation it causes on the upper layer of the teeth.

I also have to say upfront that I feel a bit like I’m letting you all in on a family secret. I mean this is the Chocolate.Chewy.Recipe. This is the one we pull out when we really want to impress the people we’re having over for dinner for the very first time. It’s a dessert that says, “We’re fun! And we like to get a little crazy in the dessert department!” We serve up the bowls of plain old vanilla ice cream and then turn away from the table to the stove, appearing again with the big heavy saucepan clenched in our hot-padded hands. “What?! You’ve never had chocolate chewy sauce?!? Oh, you poor deprived human. You are in for a treat! Let my family’s secret recipe enlighten your palette!”

So let me officially welcome you to the family.

Okay, seriously. That’s enough hype. This stuff is good people. In a fun way. In a pull out your 8 year-old’s loose tooth way. In a soak the bowls to get the remaining sauce off way. In a probably not for people with braces way. In a no one will be talking during dessert way.

There are two versions of this recipe floating around the family archives. My grandmother’s recipe and my mother’s recipe. Both versions equally good with the exact same results. And because my mom, upon my phone call two nights ago, could put a finger on her recipe immediately “I think I file it under sauces.“, and my grandmother’s version is currently MIA, the recipe below comes from my mother’s kitchen. She’s a pro at this stuff.

Chocolate Chewy Sauce from the family vault

2 one ounce squares unsweetened chocolate (to which I said, “Really? Unsweetened?” To which my mom replied:

“It will make sense when you hear the next ingredient.”)

2 cups granulated sugar

1 Tablespoon butter

3/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Over medium heat, slowly melt and combine all ingredients but vanilla. Once they have melted completely, bring to a boil. Cover and continue boiling for two minutes. Remove lid (still boiling) and continue boiling until sauce reaches soft ball stage*. (This usually takes another minute or two.) *Note: If you have a candy thermometer, you can use this to test for soft ball stage (235 °F). The method I use is to keep a clear glass of cold water at the stove. Drop a few drips of the sauce into the water, if it holds together in a loose, “soft” ball, you’ve achieved soft ball stage. If it falls apart like a cloudy mess to the bottom of the glass, you’re not there yet. You know what comes after soft ball stage? Hard ball stage. You don’t want to get there, unless you plan to never reuse the dishes you serve the sauce in. However, reaching a good softball stage is key to the sauce having the right consistency. If you err any way, err to the side of hard ball. Don’t under do it, or you won’t get the chewy factor. But go to long and you’ll get a more brittle sauce. No pressure, huh? I promise, it’s not as difficult as I just made it sound.

8 Comments

animal kingdom / babyhood / children and nature / family / holidays / home / life on thomas run / LIVING WELL / MOTHERHOOD

7 Tips for taking a perfect family Christmas card photo

1. Take your photograph when your children are well-fed and rested. (Not right after church when the baby is looong overdue for a nap and everyone's low-blood sugar is resulting in impatience and grumpiness.)

2. Make sure your husband is well-fed. (Because you'll need his help to wrangle babies, arrange children, shoo chickens, and hold ponies. And if he's hungry {see above}, he'll give up on your perfect holiday photo shoot way too quickly.

3. Find a clean, white pony to add something unique and meaningful to your family's photo. (Preferrably not one that was rolling in her muddy field just as you are all walking outside to take pictures.)

4. Make sure your children are well-groomed and bathed. (or else they'll be wearing handknits in all the pictures to cover up)

5. Drain all tubs of standing water. (Because you know the baby will find them. And while you're directing the brushing of the pony and making sure noone gets stomped on by the same nervous pony, the baby will find the water and be up to her elbows in it before you turn back around.)

6. Lock in the chickens. (They distract the photographer.)

7. Remember that one of the things you love most about your family is that it's big, crazy and chaotic. But every once in awhile, you get a glimpse of almost-perfection. And there among the five hundred wacky outtakes, there'll be one that captures just that.

1. Take your photograph when your children are well-fed and rested. (Not right after church when the baby is looong overdue for a nap and everyone’s low-blood sugar is resulting in impatience and grumpiness.) You can also just hire a professional family photographer like Sarah Drewry for professional photos, learn more about her on her website.

2. Make sure your husband is well-fed. (Because you’ll need his help to wrangle babies, arrange children, shoo chickens, and hold ponies. And if he’s hungry {see above}, he’ll give up on your perfect holiday photo shoot way too quickly.

3. Find a clean, white pony to add something unique and meaningful to your family’s photo. (Preferrably not one that was rolling in her muddy field just as you are all walking outside to take pictures.)

4. Make sure your children are well-groomed and bathed. (or else they’ll be wearing handknits in all the pictures to cover up)

5. Drain all tubs of standing water. (Because you know the baby will find them. And while you’re directing the brushing of the pony and making sure noone gets stomped on by the same nervous pony, the baby will find the water and be up to her elbows in it before you turn back around.)

6. Lock in the chickens. (They distract the photographer.)

7. Remember that one of the things you love most about your family is that it’s big, crazy and chaotic. But every once in awhile, you get a glimpse of almost-perfection. And there among the five hundred wacky outtakes, there’ll be one that captures just that.

19 Comments